1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to gloves, specifically to such gloves used to protect a person's upper extremities from the sun.
2. Background of the Invention
While performing activities of daily living (ADLs) it is desirable to protect ones upper extremities (hands, forearms, elbows, upper arms, shoulders) from the sun's harmful rays. When one lives in a warm and sunny climate it is common for a person's skin to be exposed to the sun while sitting in ones car (even with window closed) or pushing a shopping cart in the grocery store parking lot, for example. This exposure can be harmful.
Wearing gloves in a warm and sunny climate is not an appealing idea as adding a layer to one's skin can further increase an already warm body temperature. This can be an uncomfortable set-up. The person may sweat and feel too hot overall.
Thus there exists a need for a glove with adjustable coverage so that the wearer can choose the appropriate length according to the amount of coverage they desire at the moment. Various factors affect what length a wearer wants. Some of these factors are temperature, coverage sought, fashion choice, and/or comfort.
Inventors have created several types of sun covers for hands and arms. U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,550 to Flores (2003) discloses a set of three driving gloves, each of varying length. However, the wearer must change gloves to alter glove length. This is an inconvenient situation since the person must carry three pairs of gloves around and then must go through the process of changing gloves. The aforementioned gloves are intended for driving, but to be safe on the road, the driver would need to stop driving to change the gloves.
Mosley, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,478 (1988) shows a hand covering intended to provide sun protection. This glove does not provide for coverage beyond the hand and therefore does not include adjusting coverage of the upper extremity at all. Mosley's glove does not provide coverage for the palm. Mosley claims that not exposing the bottom of the hand can be a detriment to performance of operations requiring manual dexterity. While the effectiveness of grip is debatable, one thing is certain: Mosley's glove does not address improving grip beyond what it would be without the use of gloves.
Another sun-shielding glove is shown in Lincoln's U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,012 (1995). It is intended to shield the backs of the hands from sunlight. Ventilation is provided by slits on sides of the hand and bands and strips that encircle the digits and wrist as well as string netting. Such a design may provide air flow to the hand but my be impractical to put on and wear. It may take a long time to don the gloves. The bands, straps, and string netting may not be elegant, but cumbersome instead, and the person will be less likely to want to wear them other than when they are not trying to look fashionable. Also, Lincoln's gloves provide for fabric over the ends of the fingers reducing the potential for hand dexterity and sensitivity.
Like Mosley's gloves, Lincolns' do not address improving grip beyond what the grip could be without the use of gloves. Furthermore, it is possible that with numerous straps and bands fitted on sweaty skin sores may develop. It has been shown that when moist skin has pressure and shearing forces applied to it, pressure wounds develop. When a person is gripping an object this will apply pressure and shearing to the moist skin, this will leave the skin vulnerable to trauma, especially at the points where the fabric stops and pinching may also occur to the skin.
Like Flores' and Mosley's gloves, Lincoln's devices are not length adjustable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,157 to Pryor (1991) depicts a solar radiation protecting device for the forearm and a portion of the upper arm. It allows for ventilation by leaving the bottom portion bare except for some securing straps. However, it does not provide for hand nor shoulder coverage. The length of the device is not adjustable either. It is intended for use only when driving as opposed to performing any activity of daily living.